It was a worldwide ratings smash and the blockbuster soundtrack album, "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii" was awarded 5X Platinum by 'RIAA'. It was the First & Biggest selling LP in 'Quadrophonic' format history. In 2011, this double 'live' album was ranked by 'NME'(U.K.) as 1 of the '50 Greatest live albums' in history. It went to #1 on all 3
of the respected album charts of that era, 'Billboard', 'Cash Box' and
'Record World'. The later also gave the soundtrack single, "Steamroller Blues" / "Fool" another #1 for "TheKING". The American broadcast attracted
51% of the television viewing audience and was seen in more American
households than man's first walk on the moon.
In all, it was initially
seen in approximately 40 countries by More than 1.5BILLION people.

This was simultaneously viewed/tuned by1.67Billion individual TV
sets. In 1973, the Earth's total population was 3.93 billion
compared with 2012 7.04 billion.The total number of TV
sets worldwide was estimated then at 3.2 billion. Therefore, 52.2% of all TV sets worldwide were tuned to this one event. It is worth
noting that these figures represent the broadcast event at simultaneous
transmission. Many countries & provinces only picked up the broadcast
several days later; most reliable figures available estimate this to be a
further793Millionsets, therefore totaling a yet unequaled 2.46BILLIONor77%of all
televisions on Earth! Assuming half of the TV sets had more than one person
viewing them
(taken as 2, this measurement method is an industry standard), allowing thus for family viewing, then best estimates put
this at a global viewing (at broadcast) figure at an astonishing 2.51BILLIONpeople or64%of the Earth's population viewing the same event at the same moment
in time.

This mind-boggling record has stood for over 40 years and islikely to forever stand...

Elvis
Presley is probably the most polarizing figure in 20th century popular
music. To the significant worldwide majority, he’s “The King”. THE definitive
'20th Century Icon'... A
hip-swiveling, supersonic-singing, Hollywood-handsome, ultra-cool kat.
The Rockin' Rebel from rock & roll’s early years who represented 3
generations of young people ready to throw off the sexual and racial
shackles of the previous era. To others, the uneducated, ignorant vast
minority, he’s a hollow culture-thief, an
overrated musical charlatan who profited off of music some feel he had
no business recording in the first place.

A quick run of the man’s history and you could see indisputable validity to 1
side & reverse-racism to the other. But if you dig a little deeper, you begin to realize
that both of these “Elvis'” are largely fabrications—variations on a
musical superstar; created to help both sides come to terms with the
duality of his legacy.

Growing up, I was conditioned to loathe Elvis Presley. The lightest
criticism I heard of Elvis was that he ‘stole Black people’s music.’ The
harshest criticism I heard was that he was a blatant racist who felt
that all a Black man could do for him was ‘shine my shoes or buy my
record.’ I heard this from several family members and casual
acquaintances—a sentiment that was forever immortalized in Public
Enemy’s classic single “Fight the Power.” Elvis was no hero. And he
certainly never meant shit to me.

I viewed White folks’ obsession with him as evidence of their
inherently racist preference for Black music without a Black face. Even
as I became a fan of 1960s British Invasion bands, part of my praise of
the Beatles, Tom Jones, Stones and Who was that they openly acknowledged the Black
influence in their music–”unlike Elvis Presley.”

But, it wasn't until years later that I had to Really Learn about ELVIS—beyond what I’d been told. I was working on a piece about his
supposed racism and racist legacy and started doing research for
‘proof.’

Unless you're ANY thing other than 'Black', You can’t imagine my surprise at what I eventually discovered.

I learned that the infamous “shine my shoes” quote was never
verified; and was told second-hand to what basically was a 1950s tabloid
rag out of Boston called Sepia. During the same time that Elvis
supposedly gave this ‘quote,’ he did an interview with Jet (yes, the
Black-owned Jet magazine) where he spoke openly about the controversy
and the origins of rock & roll as Black music. “I never said
anything like that, and people who know me know that I wouldn’t have
said it,” he told Jet. “A lot of people seem to think I started this
business. But rock n roll was here a long time before I came along.
Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let’s face it: I
can’t sing like Fats Domino can. I know that."

I found quotes from notable Black musicians and celebrities,
detailing their experiences with Elvis, which ranged from respectful to
affectionate. James Brown said “I wasn’t just a fan, I was his brother.”
B.B. King was also close to Presley throughout his life and Ike Turner
reportedly let Elvis carry his band’s gear early on and claimed he was
the first man to put Elvis on a stage. Muhammad Ali, who let Elvis live
with him while he trained for a bout against Joe Frazier, said, “Elvis
was my close personal friend. I don’t admire nobody, but Elvis Presley
was the sweetest, most humble and nicest man you’d want to know.”

Additionally, though artists like Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner &
Jackie Brenston had been recording rock & roll long before Elvis,
the painting of Elvis as no more than a White culture thief of Black
music, while not being completely erroneous, was at the very least
overstated. I’d always been led to believe that rock & roll was a
sea of Black faces until this one, gyrating White guy came along. But
Elvis wasn’t the first White man to sing rock & roll; Bill Haley was
charting two years before anybody heard of Elvis. I also believed
icons like Chuck Berry, Little Richard & Bo Diddley had made their
mark prior to Elvis ‘stealing’ all of the credit—Elvis first single
“That’s Alright,” was a year before Chuck’s first “Maybelline”,
Diddley’s first “Bo Diddley”, or Richard’s breakthrough “Tutti
Frutti.” Of course, it would be naïve & wrongheaded to pretend that
Elvis’ race did not make the path to super-stardom much easier for him in
1950s America; but it wasn’t just his race that made him popular. Elvis
was a good-looking kid. Chuck Berry was thirty singing to teenage
girls, Little Richard’s ‘flamboyance’ made him unlikely to be a teen
idol to anyone in 1956; & even the White Bill Haley looked more like a
math teacher than a rock & roller. Elvis had looks & 'C'harisma—in
addition to being a young White guy. So, is it blasphemy to call him
“The King” of a genre he didn’t
invent? Or, did he?? That's another article for another day. In any
case, I don’t believe Michael Jackson
invented pop music; and I don’t believe James Brown, or Aretha Franklin invented soul.
So are they also not allowed to lay claim to their royal titles? Their
influences, contributions & respective bodies-of-work speaks for
itself. The resounding answer is YES!

Elvis having a much bigger hit with
“Hound Dog” as compared to its
original singer, Big Mama Thornton, is also often cited as evidence of
his benefiting solely from being a White face. But in the 1950s, hit
songs would be recorded by several artists; and while there were many
blatant examples of “White washing” Black hits for White audiences (see:
Pat Boone), it wasn’t automatic that the White artist would have the
bigger hit or the definitive version. “Blueberry Hill” is considered by
many to be Fats Domino’s signature song, but it had been written by
Vincent Rose and recorded by several artists prior to his much more
well-known 1956 version. There is more nuance in the discussion of
who-recorded-what-first-and-why than many like to consider. Maybe *if*
people Listened to the music, they would have heard & realized
Elvis' & Big Mama's versions were Nothing alike! Other than 3-words,
"Hound", "Dog" & "Rabbit", the 2 versions were as different as night n day..or possibly, more appropriately, black n white.

I’d even been led to believe that Otis Blackwell, the man who wrote
many of Elvis’ early hits, died penniless largely because he was screwed
financially by the nefarious Presley. But Blackwell received royalties
for his songs for years, and was at one point substantially well-off due
to those royalties. He died in 2002 having lived under tremendous
financial straits in his latter life, but that was mostly due to tax
issues and years of alcoholism—neither of which had anything to do with
Elvis.

The
idea of Elvis as an iconic rebel leading the charge into a bold,
new age is also somewhat patently false. Elvis craved acceptance from
the
establishment and the 'older' generation. His rebellion was mostly in the
hearts and minds of his audience; not in the intent of Presley himself.
He wanted to make music, and reacted with an ‘aw-shucks’ chagrin
whenever discussing the disdain that older, mostly White people had for
his image and the fact that he sang sexually-charged ‘race’ music. When
he was dismissed by the elder statesmen of the recording industry, like
Frank Sinatra, it crushed him. That need for acceptance is what led
Elvis away from his early R&B/RnR sound and towards
middle-of-the-road pop/rock heading into the 60s. Heading into the 70's,
a re-charged, re-vitalized, re-invented Elvis would 'Comeback' in 1968
with a vengeance.

He also came to resent rock’s second generation; a generation that
existed largely because of him. He scoffed condescendingly during his
1968 comeback special while discussing ‘new groups’ and their ‘long
hair.’ He also famously penned a letter to Richard Nixon asking to be
given the title of “Federal Agent At-Large” in the fight against drugs;
as he bemoaned the influence he felt acts like The Beatles had had on
the younger generation. 1969-1977, Elvis would arrange, produce
& make most of his Best music that he, or anyone has ever made & at the same time, gain the acceptance, admiration & R-e-s-p-e-c-t
of 1 & All.. including Mr. Sinatra, Tom Jones, The Beatles, James
Brown & a endless list of others that came before, during &
after him.. Black, White & Human! Thus, forever
sealing his legacy as "The King". Not just of 'Rock & Roll' as he
was in the 50's, or of 'Hollywood' as he was in the 60's, but of
'Entertainment'. To the Billions of ELVIS fans worldwide, as well as
many music lovers in general, "ELVIS" is simply a 5-letter synonym for "MUSIC".

There will never be a time when Elvis
doesn’t spark discussion and
debate. He should. His musical legacy is a defining moment in our
history; that moment when Black music, vernacular and culture became the
driving force in how all American youth began to see themselves. The
trickle that had begun with jazz as far back as the 20s, was, by the late
1950s, a flood that couldn’t be denied. Which is why the White
establishment fought so hard against it. But it's important to ignore
the hearsay and conjecture surrounding this “King”,
and look at the reality of who he was as a man and a musical figure.
Before we rush to tear him down or build him up.

When all is said &
done... Black, or White.. Like him, or Hate him.. Intelligent, or
Ignorant.. Agree, or Disagree...

ELVIS ARONPRESLEYWas-Is-& WillForeverBe"THEKING"!

Quite an astonishing legacy for a dirt po' White boy, born 'In The Ghetto' of Tupelo, MS!

For More On 'King' E.P., 'Godfather' J.B. & ELVIS In 'Black' Music, 'ERR' Strongly Encourages You To Click On The Following Links For Some Amazing Testimonials, Quotes, Pix & FACTual History...

"I wasn’t
just a fan, I was his brother. Last time I saw Elvis alive was at
Graceland. We sang ‘Old Blind Barnabus’ together, a gospel song. I love
him and hope to see him in heaven. There’ll never be another like that
soul brother." – James Brown.

"Elvis was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn’t let Black music through. He opened the door for Black music." – Little Richard.

"On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Elvis eleven!" – Sammy Davis Jr.